Google Ads

March 12, 2009

I recently ran across a list of "Ten Principles of Social Work" - the governing code of the social work profession. The first one is "Human Dignity":

"Dignity of the human person is the ethical foundation of a moral society. The measure of every institutionis whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person." [emphasis added]

I got to thinking - what if we all took responsibility for ensuring that our organizations enhanced the life and dignity of every human person?

Obviously we'd need to start with some clear operational definitions for the terms "threatens" and "enhances." And we'd also need to clarify what is meant by "the human person" - i.e., do we agree to assume that all humans have a spirit and that the spirit should be cared for also? etc.

March 09, 2009

Tony Schwartz has a fantastic posting about Surviving Trauma that complements the recent postings on Coping after Layoffs (Part I and Part II). Schwartz says:

"It’s no great stretch to suggest that the past six months have been traumatic for millions of Americans. A trauma is a painful emotional experience of shock, usually resulting from an extremely stressful or life-threatening situation. Sound familiar?"

Sounds kind of how you feel after experiencing a layoff, doesn't it? Schwartz warns that it can be very tempting to go into "survival mode" after experiencing a stressful situation, but that this would be counter-productive to our long-term health and happiness:

"Symptoms of survival mode include an inability to think clearly or creatively, difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping, irritability and anger – all of which make a bad situation worse. Over time, those symptoms can turn into exhaustion, numbness, depression and hopelessness, which take an even deeper toll."

He offers some 3 keys for dealing with trauma productively:

Hold on to the conviction that you have the power to shape your own experience.

March 04, 2009

A few days ago I wrote about Coping After a Layoff. If you have been laid off and you are struggling to get back into a positive frame of mind so you can go back into the marketplace, the following tips may be useful to you.

1. Close out your old job. Take are of any work tasks you have open, file any papers you bring home, sort through your benefits paperwork, transfer your retirement accounts, and even burn a few things if it seems fitting.

2. Make wise decisions about relationships at your former employer. Is there someone you want to thank? Is there someone you want to continue a professional or mentoring relationship with? Is there someone you want to continue a Personal friendship with? Be prepared that some relationships will conclude when you leave a workplace. That's okay - it's not likely that you were truly "friends" with everyone you worked with. Other relationships may be ones you want to bring forward into your new life, but it will not longer be as co-workers. Instead you may become a vendor, you may become a "buddy" outside work, and in some cases you may even become a competitor.

3. Stay or get fit. While you are laid off you will have more time on your hands than when you are working full-time. Take time to exercise - it's a great stress reducer and will help you think more clearly and make better decisions about your future.

4. Don't watch tv. There is nothing more depressing than daytime talk shows and sitcom re-runs. Resist the temptation to turn on the tv during business hours. If you had favorite shows you used to watch outside of work, go ahead and keep up with those, but don't add a bunch of new shows to your schedule.

5. Network, network, network. Take time to map out who you want to meet with and why. You list should include people who may be able to hire you, people who may know someone who can hire you, and people in your industry who always have interesting ideas about the trends and future of your profession. It should also include others who have been laid off so you can trade job search stories and support each other; however, be careful not to repeatedly meet with people who can only speak negatively about their past employer or who can't seem to shake their own anger over being laid off. Do your very best to encourage and support these folks, but don't let them drag you down.

6. Learn a new skill in an area that interests you. This can be as simple as trying a new recipe, or more invested such as signing up for a class in woodworking or quilting. The point is to keep learning and to stretch your brain in a new way. You will meet new people and you will have something interesting to talk about instead of just how the job search is going.

7. Do something nice for someone else that is not related to looking for a job. Make a meal for a busy working mom. Send an encouraging note to someone who volunteers in your community to let them know they have made a difference and you appreciate them. Smile at the clerk at the gas station. Each day commit to spreading cheer and joy to at least one person.

8. Organize your closets. Seriously. There are few things as empowering as organizing a home office, a set of bureau drawers, or a closet. The process of sorting out our physical belongings often helps us sort through our emotional baggage as well. A great book to help in this process is Clear your Clutter With Feng Shui by Karen Kingston.

If you engage in these 8 activities alongside of your regular job search activities, I guarantee you will find yourself feeling more energized and positive about your future.

March 01, 2009

If you've been laid off and you're looking for a new job, then this posting is for you. Looking for a new job after you have been laid off can be very stressful. Grief is not a state of mind that will make you a strong candidate for an opportunity - yet it's very normal to grieve when you lose your job. After all, there's been a lot of management buzz in the past 5 years about "employee engagement" and "talent retention" - companies have been working hard to motivate employees and encourage their commitment. Suddenly the language shifted in the last nine months. Now instead of talking about the human aspects of "commitment" and "retention", management has been talking about the sterile concepts of "reducing headcount" and "cutting costs." To the individual employee the shift in language can feel harsh and isolating - no wonder people experience grief when they are let go!

I know how it feels, because I have been laid off twice in my career and had to pull myself together and go out into the marketplace to find a new opportunity. I can honestly say that each time I have landed in a better place - but only after I sorted through my feelings about the layoff and was able to set aside the negative emotions and approach the marketplace with interest and optimism. It's so hard to meet a potential new boss and convince him/her that you are really excited about a new opportunity if you are still frustrated about losing your old job. Yet we all know that a hiring manager is going to be more attracted to candidates that are upbeat and positive. This quote by Jim Rohn sums up this imperative neatly:

"Don't bring your need to the marketplace, bring your skill. If you don't feel well, tell your doctor, but not the marketplace. If you need money, go to the bank, but not the marketplace."

It's hard to hide it from a new employer if you have been laid off from your prior role. However, it's up to you whether or not you come across as negative about the layoff, or as someone who has realistically absorbed the event and is moving forward. I've have interviewed candidates who are holding onto some frustration over having been laid off. They usually make it plain that they are only looking for a job because they were laid off from their prior position. Their frustration over the layoff typically sucks the positive energy out of the interview session and often prevents them from moving forward. On the other hand I have interviewed candidates who were laid off and are able to explain that they understand the circumstances that necessitated the layoffs, what they learned from the situation, and where they are hoping to go in the future.

If you can demonstrate that you learned something useful and you're looking toward the future, it is very attractive to employers. In fact, given the choice of two great, smart candidates - one who has been through a layoff, and one who never has - I will take the individual who has experienced the layoff because I respect that they have been able to bounce back from a tough situation.

So if you've been laid off, and you're looking for a new job don't despair. Talk to good friends and mentors who can help you cope, and then take your best most positive self out to the marketplace. Is this an unfair thing to ask of you? Possibly - but believe me, it's good advice! Look for a future posting with specific tips to help you recover.

February 18, 2009

[Note - long story about singing and a genuine career lesson at the end!]

When I was in high school there was an elite choral group called "Ensemble" for the most talented of singers. Each year they rehearsed extensively and put on fantastic shows. Admittance was by audition only and it was a huge honor to be selected. Our school also had an excellent choir that put on concerts several times a year. Enrollment was open to all students who were willing to work hard and learn the required music.

One of my fellow students - let's call her Hannah - had a beautiful, powerful voice. She tried out each year for Ensemble and was never selected. So she joined choir and during concerts her talent was on full display as she carried the melody line. Once during a concert I whispered to a friend of mine (who was in the Ensemble), "I cannot believe Hannah didn't make Ensemble again - listen to how beautiful her voice is." I'll never forget my friend's reply. She said, "Oh, but that's the problem, you shouldn't be able to hear her voice like that. Mr. [Music Director] has told her over and over that she needs to tone it down and work on blending in if she wants to make Ensemble."

That was interesting information to me and I tucked it away in my brain to muse on.

I recalled that whispered conversation a few months ago when I was watching a biopic on the inimitable Faith Hill. They interviewed a high school friend of Faith's from Star, Mississippi (can't recall her name so I'll just call her "Ann"). During the interview, Faith exuded energy. She has a brilliant smile and uses as powerful a voice when she speaks as she does when she sings. Ann was a rather mousy looking thing with a wispy brown bob and a soft Southern drawl. Both women talked about how as girls they dreamed of having careers as singers. Ann said [paraphrased], "Faith and I used to sing duets together at church and she would sing so LOUD. I told her she should sing more softly and try to blend and she just told me I would have to catch up if I wanted to sing with her." Eventually Faith began singing solos because no one could hold their own with her. Frankly Ann seemed a little baffled that things had turned out the way they did. Faith just laughed and said, "If you want to be a singer, you have to not be afraid to really SING!"

So when I saw this, I had a random neuron firing and thought back to Hannah in high school and how she was advised to blend in, and ended up losing out on singing opportunities when she couldn't conform. On the other hand, Faith Hill ignored the advice to tone it down and was able to take her loud powerful voice straight to the top of the charts, and now she's advising other would-be stars to do the same. So what's a singer to do? Obviously, it matters who the feedback is coming from. It a local high school music teacher who has never been out of your small town tells you to town it down, and mega-star Faith Hill tells you to crank it up, the choice of who to listen to is pretty easy.

But of course real life is more nuanced than that. Sometimes in the workplace we get conflicting feedback and there is no obvious path to go. One colleague can praise us for our ability to manage details to the nth degree, and another colleague might accuse us of being too picky and suggest that we focus on the big picture more. What should you do in these situations? It depends on how high you want to go in the workplace.

Recently I was at a Board meeting for a client company. The Board Chair - an incredibly smart successful woman that I admire - was reviewing some of the feedback the President of the organization had received on his annual 360 review. A question came up about some pieces of the feedback that seemed contradictory. Her response was swift and succinct: "Part of being an executive is learning to take conflicting or ambiguous feedback and making something good out of it. What helps you work well with one person might drive another person batty so you are going to hear different things about your style. Executives can live with that and make it work."

Wow. What great advice for anyone looking to advance - whether in singing or in the workforce. If you want to stay at the coordinator, or perhaps the Supervisor level, then just keep on insisting that people be very clear with their feedback and tell you exactly what it is they expect. If you aspire to Manager level and especially to Director and Executive level, then learn to handle nuanced feedback and put it to productive use. If you are ready to move up, you'll understand what I just said.

"Work doesn't give your life meaning. The idea that your happiness correlates to your satisfaction with your work is misguided. What you need from work is to make sure it's not undermining your ability to create sanity in your life. Work is a way to get sanity, to make sure you are growing and you feel secure while you do it. Here's what you need from a job to get that:

A short, predictable commute

Workflow you can manage

Clear goals that are challenging

Two co-workers you're close friends with

Once you have those things in your job, then it is not up to your job to create meaning in your work, it is up to you."

I agree completely except for the part about the short, predictable commute. That's a distinctly personal preference. I have a friend who recently bought her dream home - a ranch an hour outside the city. I could never handle a commute like that. Yet when I asked my friend about her commute and she acknowledged it was long but said, "I love my work and don't mind driving in. On the way home, the farther I get from the city, the less stress I feel, and when I turn the curve and see my land in the distance I get this huge smile on my face!" For her, the trade-off is completely worth it.

I think the main point is to make sure not to build your life around your job. Figure out how and where you want to live, then subordinate your income generating activities to your goals to create that life. For my friend, the keys to having the ranch she always dreamed of included a) a substantial income to pay for it; and b) work she enjoyed enough that she was willing to handle the commute. But make no mistake - while she "enjoys" her work, her meaning is found in the barn and the garden.

Read BC's posting, and then let us know - what do YOU need to have meaningful work?

It's been over 2 weeks since my last posting. I'm feeling a little guilty about that since the world of work is in a bit of chaos these days and there is much call for encouragement. I've had "blog posting" on my to-do list for the past several days, and I've got a loooong running list of ideas of things that MUST be said, but I'm human and I can only do what I can do in a given day. What I have been busy with? A mixture of the following:

Helping a client implement a reduction in force.

Encouraging my DH who is being "reorganized" - whether it comes down to actual job loss will not be clear until March.

Providing care for my DH who was playing basketball to blow off the stress of being "reorganized" and tore his Achilles tendon in half. He had surgery and is now home recuperating with his leg elevated. He'll be on crutches for 6 weeks before he can put weight in it again.

Providing care for DS who caught a flu bug.

Providing general mothering support and encouragement for DD who is in the midst of that part of the year where school basketball and club soccer overlap so she is tired, and sore, and cranky all the time and needs food and backrubs to get her through Latin and algebra each night. Oh - and a trip to Justice (the store for girls!) for their 40% off sale was also necessary!

Meeting individually with each member of my doctoral committee to try to pinpoint my dissertation topic.

Roaming the aisles of the liquor store in the evenings trying to find Luigi Bosca Malbec - 2005 because Wine Spectator says it has "brute force" and that sounds like a red wine I would enjoy!

So rest assured, the Career Encourager will be back with vital information you need to have a great career even in this tenuous economy. In the meantime, I leave you with this very encouraging poem that a friend sent me:

I CHOOSE JOY...I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.I will refuse the temptation to be cynical... the tool of the lazy thinker.I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God.I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE... I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE...I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so.Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS...I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind,for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS...I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one.I will be overlooked before I will boast.I will confess before I will accuse.I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS...Today I will keep my promises.My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will notquestion my word. My spouse will not question my love.And my children will never fear that their parent will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.If I raise my voice may it be only in praise.If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.If I make a demand, may it be only by myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...I am a spiritual being...After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.I refuse to let what will not, rule the eternal.I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy.I will be impassioned only by my faith.I will be influenced only by God.I will be taught only by Christ.I choose self-control.

2. If you're not writing for pay, you're not likely to get paid for writing.

Brilliant! These are two very good rules that can be applied to any career goal. Whatever it is you want to do, assume that lots of other people have good ideas for how you can go about it. Seek them out. Learn from them. Collaborate with them. Then find a way to tailor what it is you want to do for people who need to have it done and will pay for it.

For example, I have a friend who really likes to do career development work and wanted to do it in the corporate world. What she found was that many companies don't hire in-house career advisers for their employees. As she continued talking to people to investigate her interest in career development, she found a position in a financial services company called an "Adviser Coach" that was a great fit. Her job is to work with financial advisers in the field who are building their practice. She is an expert on all the internal resources for building a practice - marketing tools, training tools, etc. She meets regularly with advisers to share these tools, and also incorporates all of her knowledge and enthusiasm for career growth. She's not working as a "career counselor" per se, but as a result of her willingness to combine her interests and skills with the marketplace need, she is now one of the highest rated Adviser Coaches in her company and she is making a great salary doing something she truly enjoys.

January 28, 2009

Saw this quote the other today and couldn't help but think of how things are going in the job market lately:

"Sunshine all the time makes a desert." ~ Arab Proverb

We've had lots and lots of sunshine in the United States workforce over the past 5 years. Our 401(k) accounts were up, and there was a "war for talent" so job opportunities were plentiful. The result? Greed and self-centeredness - somewhat of a desert in our collective souls, perhaps.

Now it seems the rain has come - the economy has tanked and each day brings news of more layoffs. We're being forced to re-evaluate our priorities. We're confused and disappointed in how our business leaders are handling things in many cases. Yet deep down, we know that we as individuals are being given a chance to change how we operate in the world - an opportunity for our souls to grow perhaps.